I'm finding it hard to put into words just how fabulous Berlin is. People I encounter tend to find it amusing how my love for this city is so überwhelming that I beam, and shake, sometimes even do jazz-hands, and do that face that I do whenever someone unexpectedly gives me a carrot.

It is the ultimate adventure, and I'm enjoying every second of it. Whether it be standing in a dressing room with my lesbian housemate while she tries on sexy underwear, waiting for her in a tanning salon, hearing Belgian songs vaguely related to Eurovision in supermarkets, or sitting on the U-Bahn hungover, with every German around trying to listen to our crazy, and often graphic, conversations; it is all so fun and new.

I haven't even caught sight of Brandenburger Tor yet, except those patterned on the windows of the U-Bahn trains, and have not done anything remotely cultural and touristy yet. I even feel strange taking photos - this is my home, not a holiday. Everyone is so relaxed and this is so infectious. Even silly little things like picking up a Siegessäule magazine (Berlin's monthly gay guide) that would have seemed so scary not so long ago, is now just something that you do to find where to go out that night. And then you carry said magazine around in your back pocket for the rest of the night until you get home.

Last night Felix (a real German, who also likes Eurovision) and I went to explore Kreuzberg. Our first stop was a place that was strangely familiar. It didn't take me too long to realise that it was SchwuZ, the place I'd danced the night away on Friday. It was not so wild on a Sunday, so we soon moved on. We checked out Rauschgold (where Felix is dragging me to a Schlager (the German kind) party tomorrow, and then Roses Bar (pink fluffy walls, multicoloured paint, tassled tables, and cripples selling pictures) and Mobel Olfe (much classier - therefore less fun!). And I finally drank an amount that was more sensible, got in at a sensible time (about 4am) and have no hangover!

And now I just discovered (while trying to work out where I ended up on Thursday night while very drunk) that probably my favourite band ever (Hello Saferide, from Sweden) is playing in Berlin on 24th September. And Billie The Vision & the Dancers and Miike Snow are also set to appear there at later dates.

Since my life in Berlin still feels rather 2-dimensional, I will leave you with a song that, although written for drunken germans on holiday in Spain, sums up my first few days in Berlin rather well.

Peter Wackel - Ich kenn nicht deinen Namen (Besoffen!)[I don't know your name (Rat-arsed!)]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmwB1uNyATk